Exhibition Theme - Captivity

Refugees at Udine, 1945

Refugees, former "slave labourers", gather uneasily in the compound, some
around a Catholic priest, who is giving out instructions. The Polish
prisoners of war are still dressed in their striped clothing. The
refugees were part of a particularly complex situation: thousands were
on the move, trying to keep ahead of Tito and Stalin's forces; the Allies
advancing into north-east Italy were facing their first stand-offs of the
Cold War; and the presence in Udine of armed irregular Serb soldiers only
added to the tension. It is not clear whether the refugees are behind
wire fences and under armed guard to prevent them escaping, or for
their own protection.